Vehicle license tag and tab construction



Feb. 5, 1957 J. R. BAUSERMAN 2,780,018

VEHICLE LICENSE TAG AND TAB CONSTRUCTION Filed March 11, 1955 x M *5 V 1 I 533 w INVENT OR .I R Bauserman ATTORNEYS United States Patent VEHICLE LICENSE TAG AND TAB CONSTRUCTION James R. Bauserman, Richmond, Va.

Application March 11, 1953, Serial No. 341,724

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-125) The present invention relates to improvements in vehicle license tags and more particularly relates to plastic license tags having provision for renewable tabs.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved license tag and renewable tab combinative arrangement which will be light in weight so as to decrease mailing costs yet which will be durable under the nor mally encountered conditions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved license tag and renewable tab combinative arrangement wherein the material utilized will not be subject to corrosion, which will have a relatively long life in use and to which the wing nuts and the like, usually employed for securing the plates and tabs to vehicles, will not bond as by rusting.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a suitable material from which the improved combination tag and renewable tab can be made so that contrasting colors can be utilized to designate differences in passenger car and truck tags while utilizing the same physical arrangement for either cars or trucks.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved combinative arrangement of vehicle tag and renewable tab which is made of a suitable plastic not subject to weather and which can be reflectorized so as to make the identifying indicia stand out, which plastic material obviates the necessity of using steel or other material strategic in the time of war.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved 'combinative arrangement wherein the renewable tab is received in a slot-like formation in the tag so as to be snugly held therein and thereby and not subject to loosening or loss and wherein cooperating aperture formations are formed through both the tag and tab so that wing bolts and nuts or other means can cooperate to hold the tag and tab together as Well as in place on a vehicle.

Further objects are to provide various types of slot formations which can be easily fabricated in the manufacture of plastic tag plates, and to provide a tag plate and tab construction which will be economical of manufacture and simple to assemble and mount, and which is susceptible of many modifications depending upon usage requirements.

The major advantages of the instant invention are the reduced overall weight of both the tag and tab, resulting in lower mailing expenses of the original tags and tabs and the later renewal tabs, the longer life of the combination wherein the tab is rather protectively received within the tag. Another advantage is that non-strategic material is employed. Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description to follow. The best forms in which I have contemplated applying my invention are clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of tag and tab construction;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the tab of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective exploded view of still another embodiment of tag and tab construction.

The embodiment 14 shown in Figures 1-3 includes a plastic plate 122 having indicia 124, 126 thereon. The usual openings or apertures 128, 130, 132 and 134 therethtough adjacent the upper and lower edges 136 and 138, are provided for mounting the plate on a vehicle. Adjacent the side edge 140 a slot 142 is provided, having open ends at 144 and 146 opening out onto the side edges 136 and 138 of the plate. The front face 148 bounding the slot is transparent. A tab 150 is provided which is complemental in size and shape to the slot so as to completely fill the latter when positioned therein. The tab 150 has identifying indicia 152 thereon which is visible through the window 148 and apertures 154 and 156 are formed through the ends of the tab for alignment with the apertures 130 in the plate so as to receive coupling means therethrough.

In Figure 4 the plastic plate 158 has indicia at 160 and 162 and apertures 164, 166, 168 and 170 adjacent the upper and lower edges 171 and 172., respectively, as in the preceding embodiment. In this form, however, the slot 174 is formed in a corner portion of the plate so as to open out at the side edge 176 adjacent the corner 178. The renewable tab 180 conforms in size and shape to the slot 174 and has identifying indicia, as the year, at 182 and has apertures at 184, 186 adapted to align with the openings 166 and 170 to receive coupling means therethrough.

In Figure 4, the plate embodies the transparent-windowtype of slot formation, the portion overlying the slot being transparent.

In all of the foregoing described plastic plates, it is to be noted that in the manufacture thereof, the indicia of both the tag and tab is formed simultaneously with the formation of the plate. That is, the different colors which contrast to provide the indicia permeate the plastic and are not merely surface applied, thereby giving longer life to the plate indicia. Similarly, where the transparent window or blister type of plate is formed, the transparent portion overlying the tab is provided in the formation of the same by omitting the addition of color to the portion desired to be left transparent. Of course, other modes of manufacture may be employed as desired. Furthermore, it will be realized that in the formation of the plate, refiectorizing mixtures can be incorporated therein so as to render the indicia more easily visible at night.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claim rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as Well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by the claim.

I claim:

A vehicle identification tag comprising a one-piece plastic plate of polygonal contour and carrying identifying indicia, said plate having an elongate slot formed in a lower corner thereof and opening along the bottom and adjacent side edges of the plate to provide water drainage means outwardly of the slot, a removable indicia carrying tab disposed within said slot, said tab being of a size to substantially completely fill said slot with the bottom and adjacent side edges thereof flush with corresponding edges of the plate, said plate having a pair of spaced aper tures therethrough in the region of said slot, said removable tab having a pair of spaced ap rtures therein aligned with the first mentioned pair of apertures and means projecting through all of the apertures for securing the tab to the plate, and said plate having at least one other aperture therethrough which together with one of the apertures oi the first mentioned pair is registrable with apertures in a mounting bracket on an associated motor vehicle for securing the plate to such bracket, whereby one of the means for securing the tab to the plate also 1 serves to partially secure the plate to an associated bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lyon Jan. 11, 1916 Hartsborrne Sept. 8, 1925 Bledsoe Sept. 29, 1942 Warp Apr. 20, 1943 Ducey May 14, 1946 Catfrey Dec. 26, 1950 

